title: Mental health nurses employed in Australian general practice: dimensions of time and space.
abstract: Almost half the Australian population, aged 16-85 years, are affected by mental illness at some point in their life, and general practice plays a key role in providing effective mental health care. This paper presents the findings from a study that explored how people living with mental illness are supported in Australian general practice. A descriptive, exploratory study was conducted using semistructured interviews to gather data. The role of mental health nurses in the care and support of people with mental illness emerged from the data. This was explored further and resulted in two key themes: dimensions of time and dimensions of space. Findings from this study present key similarities and differences in the role of mental health nurses, as compared to general practitioners, in relation to dimensions of time and space. Dimensions of time and space are important considerations for general practices when planning to introduce a mental health nurse into their interprofessional team.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia. jennifer.chamberlainsalaun@jcu.edu.au
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chamberlain-Salaun
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D058006:General Practice / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D000078329:Workforce